Erasmus, full name Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, (28 October, probably 1466 in Rotterdam – 12 July 1536 in Basel) was a Dutch humanist, theologian and philosopher.
Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a "pure" Latin style. Although he was a Catholic, he was critical of the Roman Catholic Church and wrote satires of them. He stood at the beginning of the reformation.
The following information from * to * is sourced from 'Oxford AQA History A LEVEL, The Tudors: England 1485-1603: